Iron coffer-dam pile



Dec. 22, 1931. J, MEisER 1,837,787

IRON COFFER DAM FILE Filed April 27. 1921 Patented Dec. 22, 1931 PATENT OFFICE J'OSEF HEISEB, OF DOBTHUND, GERMANY mon com-nan: ma

Application filed 'April 27, 1927, Serial 1T0. 187,056, and in Germany April 30, 1926.

i This invention relates to cofl'er-dams and aims to provide an improved means or form of lock for connecting together the iron sections or piles of a cofl'er-da-m in a. firm and water tight manner. I

The necessary interlocking or joining of sheet metal sections or piles for forming cotter-dam walls has alwayspresented many difficulties arising from the fact that the interlocking joints of the piles have invariably been the weak points in a cofferdam. To overcome these difiiculties, efforts have been made to connect the piles in such a manner that the interlocking parts would be situated insofar as possible within the neutral plane of the cotter-dam wall, and for such reasonpiles 'or sections of U-shape or channel-shape section have been more or less generally adopted. However, at the joint or locking points of the piles, a comparatively large concentration of material. has resulted which cannot be avoided and which has imparted little strengtheningvalue in the neutral plane of the walls. Efi'orts have been made also to provide irons or locking'bars at the joints for strengthening the same, butthis has led to still more undesirable concentration of material at 'such points,

The present invention is distinguished from the prior art developments in cofier-dam construction in that the several iron sections or'plles, preferably of the well-known S or 2- section form, are provided with stable l'ock portions or special intermediate interlocking parts of such form that it is possible without difficulty to arrange the joints. outsidelof the neutral plane or zone of the walls, in

oints at which the concentration of material is really advantageous due to the tendency 40 to increase the resistive moment of the wall.

According to the present invention, the interlocking parts or locking means are so patterned or shaped and related that when assembled together they form or act as r 15 wedges or double wedges embracing each other from or on two sides, .Under stresses tending to bend the wall or cofier-dam,-these interlocking parts of wedge or double wedge character press against each other with their doubly embracing parts" and efiectually re- 'sist the force or forces which might otherfore, the interlocking parts may be made ex-a tremely strong with obvious resulting advantage. Q

Moreover, the locking means according to,

this invention efi'ects connection between the sheet sections or piles in a substantially flush joint at least on one side in the plane of .the wall, so that either the outer or inner surfac of the wall may be made smooth or substan- 'tially unbroken.

Instead of applying-the special interlock.

ing parts previously 'mentloned, the joint or connection between wall sections may be effected directly by forming the sections with related interlocking margins or portions similarly as above described, whereby adjacent sections may be complementarily engaged or interlocked and provide strengthening thickened wall portions along their interlocking edges. Where onlymoderate stresses will be brought to bearag'ainst the cofier-dam walls.

during use, the last mentioned mode of connecting the wall sections as hereinafter described with reference to F particularly advantageous. g uch arrangement or mode oi connecting the sections has the special merit that only a very small portion of the section margins need be-bent or formed for interlocking with adjacent sections, during or after the rolling of the pile.

The invention is equally applicable to piles of the so-called box-like section,'since with the aid of the locking meansas described, a

wall or cofier-dam may be built u i with smooth or substantially unbroken The accompanying illustrate constructional embodiments of my invention in cross-sectional views of interlocking 'parts connecting adjacent sections or piles.

In said drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates one form of connection between cotter-dam plates wherein an intermediate locking piece holds the plates along marginal edges outside of the neutral plane of the dam wall;

Fig. 2 illustrates a modification wherein the intermediate locking-piece and margins of the plates are of different form, but wherein their points of connections are nevertheless outside of the neutral plane of their walls;

Fig. 3 illustrates a connection between plate sections of a cotter-dam, wherein the intermediate locking'piece is eliminated but the point of connection remains outside the neutral plane of the dam wall;

Fig. 4 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating a modification in form of connection; and

Fig. 5 represents a part of a coifer-dam wall embodying S or Z-shaped pile sections connected together outside the neutral plane of their walls as illustrated on a larger scale in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6' is a fragmentary view similar to- Fig. 5 and also on reduced scale showing the sections connected together by'T-shaped bars according to Fig. 1.

In Fig. 1, adjacent sections or piles a are shown with their marginal edges formed or bent in such a manner that an intermediate complementary locking piece or bar I) with its web or flange 0, lies fully Within the groove formed between meeting edges or margins of the sections, the same being bent to form such groove in the plane of the wall, so that the wall surface remains smooth .and substantially unbroken on one side. Said intermediate bar 6 is shown with oppositely extended flanges (Z and e spaced from the flange 0 and so shaped as to complementarily engage and cooperate with the marginal edges or ends of the piles a, so that said pile edges are embraced from or on both sides and cannot disengage even under the heaviest stresses 3.!1(]1l pressures acting upon or against the wa V Another constructional form is illustrated in Fig. 2 wherein the flange 0 of the bar I) is shown lying upon the upper side of the united pile margins so that it projects above the wall surface, whereas the parts d and e,-

functioning as double wedges as above described, are in this instance disposed to lie flush within a groove formed between the edges of the piles complementarily en a in therewith. g a g Figs. 3 and 4"illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein the intermediate piece or bar I) is eliminated, the marginal edges of i adjacent sections or piles being formed to eifect a complementary interlocking thereof,

with a corresponding increase in thickness of Fig. 4 shows an adaptation of the same principle, wherein the inter-engagement of adjacent piles is simpler and suflicient for constructions receiving less heavy stresses. In this construction, a single double wedge 9 along the edge of one pile is engaged in a corresponding. groove along the edge of its adjacent pile, the groove of the one being adapted to embrace the single double wedge of the otherwithin two projections or noses h and 2'.

Fig. 5 shows on a smaller scale, a part of a cotter-dam built from S and Z-shaped piles and embodying the locking means of the form shown in Fig. 3.

Theform and strength of the interlocking parts can be varied to a considerable extent according to requirements and the purpose for which the coiier-dam is built.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in. what manner the same is ,to be performed, I declare that What I claim is:

1. A coffer-dam wall comprising sheet piling sections of substantially S-shape in cross section having longitudinal marginal portions molded to a stepped wedge-like form and interconnecting T-shaped bars having locking grooves on opposite sides to receive said portions of the sections complementarily in tight and rigid interlocked and doublewedge joints at opposite sides of the walls neutral plane preventing relative movement of the sections connected thereby.

2. A piling wall comprising sheet piling sections of substantially S -shape in crosssection having longitudinal marginal portions in angular bend with backwardly disposed wedge-like edges, and interconnecting bars of substantially T-shape in cross-section having locking grooves in opposite sides receiving said portions of the sections with wedge-like edges engaging the aforesaid edges of the former in close complementary fit, whereby substantially rigid double-wedge joints preventing relative movements be- In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

JOSEF MEISER. 

